The research could help reduce health care costs -
findings recently published in Annals of Internal Medicine Steven Lipshultz, MD, professor and President Wayne State University pediatrics and chief pediatrician at children's Hospital of Michigan, part of the Detroit Medical Center, and colleagues could help reduce health care costs while protecting childhood cancer survivors heart disease caused by drug treatment.
This is the bottom line "very exciting and very hopeful" of the recently published study, said co-author Lipshultz, who spent over 30 years studying the damaging potential impact - or "cardiotoxicity" - drug therapy on the hearts of children who have survived cancer.
The study "cost-effective Oncology Group long-term monitoring of children screening guidelines for childhood cancer survivors at risk for treatment-related heart failure," examined data from patient histories to show that medical directives current standards for protecting childhood cancer survivors of heart disease related to drug therapy and heart failure later in life through periodic cardiac analyzes (echocardiographs) are . too cautious
According to the data, the frequency of post-cancer screenings can be reduced safe for low-risk patients. - with great savings and a small reduction in the overall quality of care patients
"the potential savings to be gained by reducing the frequency of echocardiographic projections in patients who survived a childhood cancer are very promising," said Lipshultz. "Data from our study on the cost-effectiveness of these projections suggest that we could save 50 percent of costs for this screening cardiac care, while saving these children from unnecessary cardiac scanning rigors."
while stressing that the total expenditure of the United States for health care exceeds $ 3000000000000 a year and represents nearly 17 percent of the gross domestic product of the United States together, Lipshultz describes the revolutionary conclusions as "a classic example of the effectiveness of research in pediatric medicine can both ensure the quality of patient care and help in the effort to keep medical costs under control "
according to the results, guidelines for frequency of cardiac scans in childhood cancer survivors -. conceived in 03 by the normalization of the nation Oncology Group setting for children - could be in any revised security, so instead of undergoing scans all one, two or five years (depending on relevant health factors) , survivors of childhood cancer are scanned every two, four, five or 10 years.
While praising the study for its extensive exploration of the issue, an editorial accompanying AIM noted that the new recommended scan rate schedule would reduce "expenses by 50 percent."
editorial went on to note that "screening can be done cost-effective and is very likely to improve the quality and quantity of life of the patient."
new study "important implications" said Lipshultz for some 400,000 childhood cancer survivors in the United States in 2014.
"the National Institute cancer estimated that one in 530 young adults (aged 20-45) is a childhood cancer survivor, "said the veteran researcher who has frequently published over the years on the subject of the cardiotoxic effects of treatment of cancer-related drug abuse among childhood cancer survivors. "for these patients, ensuring the lasting impact of drug therapy does not lead to heart disease and heart failure later in life is vital.
" for survivors childhood cancer and their families, this new study is very good news, indeed -. because it shows that many of them in the low-risk category can safely reduce the frequency of heart screenings, with a significant reduction in support costs "
Lipshultz stressed that asking survivors childhood cancer suffer too frequent cardiac analysis also carries a "social cost".
"The risk you run, if you ask these patients to have frequent analyzes, is that they can start be seen by their friends and families and their teachers at school as "different" from other children around them. If this happens, the cancer survivors may even become youth whose life is dominated by an exaggerated focus on their heart health. "
Lipshultz also said that the new study highlights the importance of" linking research to clinical care in everything we do.
"If you want to see why this connection is so important," he added, "just look at the" miracle "in the treatment of treatment of pediatric leukemia in this country in recent decades . in 1970, only about 4 percent of childhood leukemia patients survived (the most common form of the disease) But today, the same survival rate is over 0 percent it was one of the greatest miracles of modern medicine -. .. and it happened largely because of a seamless connection has been achieved between research and clinical care "
" as a pediatrician in Chief, I feel very passionate about trying to connect research, education and quality care in everything we do at children's Hospital of Michigan! "
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